The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 312 Arsenal Acquisition Plan

This news comes from Ilion.

This Chelsea scout has never given up on the idea of ​​bringing Gaio back to London.

The news he brought was that Roman was considering bringing in a top striker during the summer transfer window, a point previously revealed by some so-called Chelsea insiders in English media reports.

Ilyan, on the other hand, told Gaio with even greater certainty that Abramovich would definitely bring in a striker.

Gaio replied politely to Ilion.

He was well aware of Ilion's thoughts; the scout who had brought Gaio to Stamford Bridge wanted to bring Gaio's talent to Stamford Bridge once again.

But Gaio could not return to Chelsea.

The reason has nothing to do with Chelsea itself, but rather with Abramovich and the Russia he represents.

First, why does Gaião want to go to the Premier League?

The reason is simple: as someone from a later era, Gaio is all too aware of the influence of the Premier League in the entire European football community. At this point in time, the Premier League already enjoys a high level of attention, and this will continue to rise.

This is why Abramovich chose to acquire a Premier League team in 2003.

Owning a Premier League team is like having a business card that reaches billions of viewers worldwide. At that point in 2003, Russia hoped to integrate into the Western world.

Therefore,
Chelsea, a London club, became a symbol of Russia's integration into the Western world. During this period, Russian capital investment in England was significant in enhancing the country's image.

at this point,
It's the same principle as those wealthy white-hat owners in the Middle East buying up European teams and then investing heavily to compete for championships.

Because they all need an opportunity to showcase themselves.

Football is a great way to do this.

however,
The Middle East is different from Russia, and Gaio doesn't know much about the situation there.

However, Gaio knew clearly that a fierce conflict would break out between the two Muscovy and Muscovy regions in the Donbas region next year.

This thwarted Russia's efforts to integrate into the Western world.

As a result, relations between Russia and the Western world began to decline and could never return to what they were before.

Therefore,
After the conflict early next year, Russia will no longer need Chelsea.

From a macro perspective, Abramovich's series of investments are meaningless and, on the contrary, carry enormous financial risks.

The underlying logic of the Western world has always been the same as that of Onsa: to seize without hesitation.

In fact, they have already shown their true colors to Russia since next year, but some wealthy Russians still have some illusions about them.

Abramovich did not give up on Chelsea because of this conflict between the two men.

only,
Gaio is very clear about the subsequent course of events: Abramovich was restricted from entering the UK in 2018, and then in 2022, Chelsea was forced to be sold, with Abramovich receiving not a penny of the £25 billion sale proceeds.

in addition,

From a competitive standpoint, Gaião also felt that Chelsea was not a good fit for him.

How to achieve greatness?

Naturally, one should acquire everything one doesn't have!
Why is he so beloved and adored by countless fans in Bastia?
Because he brought Bastia everything they had never experienced before, a dream that this island team could never reach.

Therefore, he does not want to return to Chelsea.

Moreover, Chelsea may not necessarily use him as a pure core player.

At last,
Another reason Gaião didn't want to go was that Mourinho would return for a second stint. The Sun reported that Mourinho had reached an agreement with Chelsea and would return to manage the Blues.

The official announcement may not be made until July 1st or later, and until then, Chelsea and Mourinho will avoid the media.

Not long ago,
Abramovich was spotted dining with Mourinho at the "La Famiglia" restaurant in Chelsea, London.

According to The Sun, Mourinho has reached a £1000 million annual salary agreement with Chelsea, making his return a certainty.

He wasn't dissatisfied with Mourinho.

It's just a tactical bias.

Who wouldn't want to play beautiful, fluid, and elegant football?
He was well aware that the defensive counter-attacking tactic could not fully utilize Gaio's own strengths.

Just like now in Bastia, he often can't get possession of the ball and can only wait for it, and there is relatively little cooperation between his teammates.

After playing two seasons of counter-attacking football, Gaião didn't want to continue playing that style.

It's that simple.

After replying to Illion, Gaio resumed his training, preparing to unlock the first ability of "Balance"—

Symmetrical and harmonious.

This is also the ability he has the best chance of unlocking in a short period of time.

The requirements for this ability are: flexibility ≥70, ball feel ≥85, and strength ≥75.

Gaio is only 1 point less in flexibility and 1 point less in strength.

The maximum strength is 77, and it is relatively easy to increase it to 75.

His flexibility cap is 70, while it was 69 previously, making it difficult to reach the maximum. Therefore, after the last league match, Gaio spent 10 winning points to raise his flexibility cap by 1 point.

More suitable for improvement.

He's only lacking in flexibility now, but that should be within the next couple of days.

Once you reach level 70, you can unlock Symmetry and Coordination!

To be honest, Gaio is quite looking forward to this ability, because it will enhance his dribbling skills in all aspects, and he can play in the attacking third.

He could already imagine how helpless the players guarding him must feel.

Are you mainly defending my right flank?
Then I'll move to the left!
In their next match against Chelsea, their full-backs will typically be Ashley Cole, Azpilicueta, Bertrand, and others.

Gaio could easily bully the slower one.

Gaião could even move to the center, allowing Lukaku to play his favorite winger position.

Of course,
These are all Gaio's ideas. The actual way of playing will definitely have to be based on Hagi Begic. Otherwise, what if he can adapt to positional changes but his teammates are not?
Therefore,
When choosing a team, he also needs to choose a coach.

The same player can perform differently under different coaches; this is always the case.

The simplest example is perhaps De Bruyne's relationship with Mourinho and Guardiola.

Ever since Hagi Bejic learned that the opponent was Chelsea, he has been busy studying Chelsea every day or discussing countermeasures with the coaching staff.

Daily training continues as usual.

Outside of Bastia, French media viewed this Europa League semi-final as a battle for French football's honor.

"Bastia, a Corsican newly promoted team with a much smaller budget than their opponents, has made a remarkable run with amazing team spirit and efficient attacking play, reaching the Europa League semi-finals for the first time in 34 years."

Chelsea, boasting world-class stars like Torres, Lampard, Mata, and Cech, is a true European powerhouse, and Stamford Bridge is a formidable and intimidating home ground.

"The biggest focus of this match is undoubtedly the return of three Chelsea players – Gaio, De Bruyne, and Lukaku – to their old haunts!"
Gaio: This young striker, once abandoned by Chelsea's youth academy, is now the brightest star in the Europa League. His dribbling, speed and shooting skills will directly test the Blues' defense led by Ivanovic. After leaving Chelsea, everyone thought Gaio's career was over, but he has gradually returned to his former teammates with his strength.

Unfortunately, Carrillo and Terry, who had conflicts with Gaio, either went to Real Madrid or were abandoned by Benitez.

Kevin De Bruyne: The Belgian midfielder, who has had few opportunities to play for Chelsea, is now the absolute core of Bastia's midfield. Can his vision and passing break through Benitez's carefully constructed defense? This is the golden stage for De Bruyne to prove that he can earn a starting position at Chelsea.

Lukaku: A highly anticipated and powerful center forward, now shining brightly in Bastia, he will use his strong physique to directly challenge Ivanovic and Cahill.

"Regardless of the outcome, Bastia's advancement to the Europa League semi-finals is already a source of pride for French football."

at last,

As time passed, Haji Begitch finally gathered everyone together in the conference room for a tactical deployment meeting.

The old coach probably hasn't slept well these past two days. He walked in carrying a thick stack of documents, looking slightly tired.

"Alright, we're heading to Stamford Bridge on the 25th. I won't say much more, but I hope we can get out of London unscathed."

At this point, Haji Begitch showed a slight smile.

The players below all nodded slightly.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous at this point.

They weren't nervous because they were afraid of losing.

It's not that they're nervous because they want to win.

An opportunity to make team history and showcase one's value is presented to everyone, and everyone wants to seize it.

Haji Begitch quickly got straight to the point.

He said to Dominic, "Turn on the projector."

Gaio and De Bruyne were together, manipulating Dominic.

De Bruyne nudged Gaio with his elbow, "Are you confident in Chelsea's defense?"

Gaio smiled and said, "If you can pass the ball to me, I can score."

De Bruyne nodded slightly. "Seize the opportunity."

Both players knew that Bastia's away game against them was a joke, and they wouldn't have many opportunities; every chance was precious.

soon.

Hagi Begic, using a combination of videos and text on the projector, gave everyone a brief overview of Chelsea's tactics under Benitez.

"Benitez is a very stubborn person. He will definitely use his unchanging 4-2-3-1 formation. Behind Torres or Demba Ba, they can field three number 10s, which gives them the ability to launch quick counter-attacks and short passing combinations. Their positional changes will also bring a wealth of tactical options, making our defense very difficult."

However, the technically skilled attacking midfield trio of Hazard, Mata, and Oscar typically operate outside the penalty area to avoid crowding into the box and losing space.

We cannot give them space!
Look at this example.

Hajibegichi kept talking, while Gaio listened attentively below.

Football tactics are ever-changing.

No one can win with a single tactic. Not only do coaches need to constantly learn and improve themselves, but players do too.

It is essential to have a deep understanding of the intentions behind the tactics.

In football, to put it simply, everything is geared towards scoring goals.

But how do you create shooting opportunities?
This is the hardest part. Gaio pondered, while Haji Begichi above continued to speak.

The gist is that Chelsea's attacking organization relies on short passing combinations, with the core being the center-backs safely passing the ball to the two holding midfielders, who then choose to pass it back to regroup, distribute it to the wings, or advance through the middle.

During counter-attacks, the ball will be quickly distributed to Mata, with Hazard and Oscar attacking the gaps in the flanks on both wings, the strikers creating space, Ramirez providing running support, and Lampard looking to make runs from deep.

Another key change Benitez made was moving Luiz to a defensive midfield position, utilizing his versatile passing abilities to enrich the midfield organization.

He formed a flexible partnership with Ramirez and Lampard, significantly enhancing the diversity and tactical effectiveness of the midfield.

Ramirez is also an important offensive and defensive pivot, with the fastest defensive recovery speed.

On the defensive end, the strategy is to use high pressing and offside trap tactics. The formation can be switched to 4-4-2 with the flanks retreating, or 4-2-4 to maintain counter-attacking pressure.

The main weakness is on the right flank. Azpilicueta can't get back after his attack, leaving a large gap behind him, requiring Cahill to provide cover and Ramirez to cover for him.

If the full-backs fail to return to defense in time during the transition from attack to defense, the defensive line is easily breached by counterattacks due to insufficient numbers.

Meanwhile, Cole on Chelsea's left flank is relatively solid.

Therefore,
Hagi Bejic specifically looked at Kanté, "You need to completely shut down Mata! Don't let him receive and pass the ball easily!"

Kanté was already a little confused by the tactics, but he heard Haji Begitch's final instructions very clearly.

He nodded repeatedly.

Keeping a close eye on someone is what he excels at.

Many Bastia players are similar to Kanté, falling asleep during the game. Many of them lack the ability to grasp the tactics and simply play the way the coach instructs them.

and so.

Not every professional player can become a head coach.

Not every head coach is a professional player.

When discussing potential weaknesses on Chelsea's right flank, Hagibis looked at Mane, about to say something.

Gaio spoke up, "Farook, I can kick on the left."

Ok? !

When Gaio said this, everyone was stunned. Gaio had always been a right winger and rarely appeared in other positions.

Hagi Begic was also taken aback for a moment, but he quickly recovered and nodded to Gaio, "Okay, we'll talk about it later. Anyway, we still need to finalize the specific lineup, and we'll decide the day before the game."

Gaio nodded and said nothing more.

Hagi Begic then continued talking about the defensive end.

De Bruyne frowned slightly, looked at Gaio, and whispered, "You're using your left foot to kick to the left? Isn't that a waste of your attacking ability?"

Generally speaking, attacking left-footed players tend to use their right foot to cut inside and create shooting opportunities, while left-footed players use their left foot primarily for assists, such as crossing from the byline.

There was something else he didn't dare say: he felt it would be a waste to play Gaio on the left, since Gaio was more reliable than Lukaku in terms of finishing ability.

Gaio confidently replied, "Don't worry, I've mastered my right leg."

De Bruyne frowned; he felt Gaio was being a bit too confident.

They already have few opportunities against Chelsea, and if Gaio is made to play on the left, it would be like cutting off his own arm.

but,

De Bruyne didn't say anything more.

He believes Haji Begic will make the judgment.

De Bruyne only saw that after Gaio spoke a few words to Hagibergic after the meeting, Hagibergic nodded.

When Gaio returned and saw De Bruyne, he said, "Let's go, to the training ground."

De Bruyne followed along to the training ground, still somewhat bewildered, to continue his afternoon training session.

however,
That afternoon, De Bruyne felt as if he had seen a monster.

A phrase resurfaced in his mind: "Genius is merely the threshold to my understanding."

He saw Gaio on the left flank, tearing apart the makeshift defensive line that Bastia had put together.

Damian conceded several goals.

Gaio's right foot was just as good as his left.

The entire audience gasped and cheered.

If they didn't know that Gaio had always played as a right winger, they would definitely think that Gaio had always played as a left winger!
After Gaio achieved the required flexibility.

He had already mastered symmetrical coordination, which is why he dared to say he wanted to play as a left winger.

Haji Begitch was clearly stunned by Gaio, and a smile appeared on his face.

He believed that this would absolutely surprise everyone!

As is well known, Gaião is a right winger.

So how will Chelsea's players react when Gaio appears on the left?
The key is definitely to defend against Gaio's crosses!
Gaião's dribbling and breakthrough abilities, his ball handling skills in tight spaces, and his top-notch shooting skills will surely surprise everyone at Chelsea.

With these thoughts in mind, Hagi Begic became even more confident about his prospects in this round of the knockout stage.

With 800,000 against 600,000, the advantage is in my hands!
Time keeps passing.

Regarding the match between Chelsea and Bastia

Not only in France, but also in the UK, many media outlets have begun to hype it up.

Of course, the British media prefers gossip and rarely discusses tactics and techniques.

after all,

English media are known to all Premier League fans for their gossip, including top-tier publications like The Sun – an authority on everything from football to tabloid news.

For example, they once reported gossip about Terry and Bridge, about Terry dating Bridge's girlfriend Vanessa at Bridge's house, in Bridge's bed, and on Bridge's lawn.
The Sun even provided details, stating that Terry would meet with Vanessa at least twice a week, once after training and once after a match. He would first tell his wife, "I need to work on my body a bit more; one leg is never strong enough," and then he would run to Vanessa's house.

Sometimes Terry would even stay behind to help the younger players with extra practice, and then go to Bridge's house and bang on the door.

There's this traditional English media coverage of the Bastia vs. Chelsea match.

They're just bringing up all the things Gaião suffered at Chelsea again, rehashing old stories.

It is also said that when Gaio returned to Stamford Bridge, he could no longer see Terry and Carrillo, with whom he had conflicts, and lost the thrill of revenge.

De Bruyne and Lukaku, two "disappointed" players who were loaned from Chelsea to Bastia, were also mentioned.

Gaio would also check these news reports after training or after breakfast.

However, Gaio only picked and chose to read news about Chelsea.

such as,

Lampard and David Louis got into an argument, and Benayoun broke them up.

Terry was benched by Benitez, who explained that Terry's physical condition had been poor since recovering from his injury.

Terry clearly told the fans: I can play two games a week without any problems! I am fully recovered and eager to participate in all of Chelsea's games.

However, Terry also admitted that under Benitez, he no longer seems to be the first choice for the center-back position.

In short, Chelsea is plagued by various internal strife.

and,

There was also "external turmoil." Before the Europa League match against Bastia, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez, longtime rivals, clashed again, continuing their war of words.

Benitez had a bad relationship with Ferguson when he was in charge of Liverpool, and the two often had verbal conflicts. Now, the Manchester United manager has once again taken aim at his old rival.

Ferguson accused Benitez of being more concerned with adding a trophy to his resume than with the Blues' league standings when he was in charge of Chelsea.

“Benítez has done a good job in the past few weeks, but he is more concerned about his resume, and he obviously cares more about that.”

"Chelsea fans are no longer bothered by Benitez, which has helped him relax a bit and start to be able to pick the right lineup in the game."

For this,

Benitez responded by saying that Ferguson's success over the years was simply due to spending money.

"When you're coaching a top team and have more money than others for many years, you can certainly continue to win and continue to talk a good game."

Benitez also took the opportunity to mock Ferguson's European record, saying, "Shouldn't he have achieved better results in European competitions? I don't know, let's leave it at that."

The two actually had quite a few conflicts.

The two managers' most recent clash occurred when Chelsea visited Old Trafford in the FA Cup, when Benitez claimed that Ferguson deliberately refused to shake his hand, a claim denied by the Manchester United manager.

When this topic was brought up by the reporter.

Ferguson said: "I didn't see him at all at Old Trafford. I don't know why he said that. The handshake thing has caused quite a stir."

These are just some of them.

Amidst a flurry of news about Chelsea, Gaio spotted information about another London team.

And then a familiar name appeared – the Ruben brothers are reportedly planning to acquire a stake in Arsenal, and they are doing so very quickly.

what?
When Gaio saw this news, he was quite surprised.

My instinct was to think this was a fabricated news story.

How much wealth does Britain's richest man have to acquire Arsenal?
And why would Arsenal possibly sell now?
but,

After reading the entire news article, he understood.

David Dunn, disheartened after being ousted by Kroenke and Usmanov, was at a loss for how to reconnect with the Ruben brothers.

It will bring about a completely new change for Arsenal.

Although the Ruben brothers were once the richest people in Britain, they clearly couldn't afford to take over Arsenal. And there was another important name involved – PIF.

Saudi Public Investment Fund.

Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund!
(End of this chapter)